Hallett d



H. '1). ELLS.

AUTOMOBILE THEFTSEGNAL- APPLICATION FILED JANLZG, 1920.

.Beis sued Oat. 12, 1920.

Wa m; f 0 5/ ,UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce.

HALLE'lT D. ELLS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR. ASSIGNMENTS, T0 H.G. MILLER, 015' LOS .ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BY DIRECT AND MESNE AUTOMOBILE THEFT-SIGNAL.

Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. Reiflsllell Oct, 12, 1920.

Original No. 1,108,156, dated August 25, 1914, Serial No. 798,836, filedNovember 3, 1913. Application for reissue filed January 26. 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. HALLETT D. EnLs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulAutomobile 'lhcillfiignals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in auto theft signals.

It is particularly adapted for use on41n automobile wheel.

The object of my inventienis to provide a signal which is provided withmeans for being releasably locked to an automobile wheel for the purposeof preventing the wheel from revolving, and thereby preventing theft orunauthorized use of the automobile.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pre-' ferred form of my inventionshown attached to an automobile wheel, the latter being in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of signal shown'in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View on the line w--b of Fig. 4:.

Fig. dis a vertical sectional view on the line ccl of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a modified form of my invention provided with two clampingarms pivoted to opposite sides of the tread member.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the differentviews.

Referring to the first four figures, 1 designates thecurved body of atread member which is adapted to be fitted to the periphery of the tire2 of an ordinary automobile wheel 3. Hinged to one side of the body 1 bymeans of a pintle 4 is a clamping member 5 which is adapted to embracethe rim 6 of the automobile wheel as shown in Fig. 1, and to have itsfree end releasably locked to the opposite side of the body 1 by meansof a padlock 7, the hasp 8 of which is adapted to be inserted throughtwo holes 9 and 10 provided respectively 1n laterally extending flanges11 and 12-with which the members 5 and 1 are provided. Extendingoutwardly and preferably obliquely, from the underside of the body 1 isa projection or spike 13 which is adapted to strike the ground and serveas a bumping the Serial NO. 354286.

member to prevent the wheel 3 being revolved, or incase that sufficientpower is operated to cause the wheel to revolve, the projection 13 willcause the wheel to be raised from the groundand then permitted -to dropduring each revolution. \Vhen the so as to prevent their cutting thetire 2.

lo the form of my inventionshown in Fig. 5, two arms 5' are respectivelypivoted to opposite sides of the body 1' by means of two parallellongitudinal pintles 4'. The

free ends of the arms 5 are provided respectively with holestherethrough for receiving the hasp of a'padlock, such as is shown inFig. 1. The'body 1' is provided with downwardly and obliquely extendingprojection 13 corresponding in function and mode of operation to thecorresponding part in the other form of my invention.

When the owner or operator of an automobile desires to leave the vehicleWithout guard he may apply to one of the wheels a signal correspondingto the one shown in Fig. 1 or that shown in Fig. 5, and releasablysecure the same to the. wheel by means of a suitable padlock, ashereinbefore described. If any unauthorized person attempts to use thevehicle the chock will interferc with the revolving of the wheel andwill either prevent the running of the auto-v mobile, or by theirregular movement of the wheel will prevent rapid running of the machine and will serve to efiect the detection of the person who attemptsthe unauthorized use of the vehicle.

I am aware that previous inventors have sought to prevent the movementof vehicles by attaching to a wheel a chock of suflicient size toprevent the vehicle from being moved. My invention differs from, allsuch previous attempts and is broadly new-and basic in that I provide adevice which is small enough to pass freely under the wheel to which itis attached and the ground, and large enough to give an unmistakablebumping movement to that wheel which movement is sufficiently noticeableto call the publics attention to the operation of the ve- .hicle. Inother words, I do not attempt to prevent the operation of the, vehiclenor the rotation of its wheel but on the contrary I utilize thismovement and rotation to signal to the public that the vehicle is beingoperated by an unauthorized person.

I' claim as my invention 1. An auto theft signal comprising a bodyadapted to engage the tread of the tire of an automobile wheel, saidbody having a projection extending outwardly beyond the tread of a tireon said .wheel, saidprojection being of such size and shape as to permitthe Wheel to be -freely rotated with the signal in place on the wheel,thus raising the wheel from the ground and imparting a marked I bumpingmotion thereto, an arm engaging said body and adapted to be swung mto aclosed. position in engagement with the wheel, and releasable means forlocking the free end of said arm to the opposite side of said body. v Anauto theft signal comprising a body adapted to engage the tread of thetire of an automobile wheel, said body having a projection extendingoutwardly beyond the tread of a tire on said wheel, said projectionbeing of such a size and shape that it Will permit the wheel to berotated freely with the signal in place on the wheel, thus raising thewheel from the ground and imparting-a marked bumping motion thereto; anarm pivoted to said body and adapted to be swung into closed positionwith the rim of the wheel, and releasable means for locking said arm inthe closed position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. 4 v

' HALLETT D. ELLS,

